Monthly Archives: March 2011

Turtlehead Peak Hike, March 2011

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Turtlehead Peak
Date: March 27, 2011
Difficulty: 6 out of 10
Distance: 5 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 2,000 ft.
Time: 2 to 3 hours
Location: 20 Minutes From Las Vegas
Users Group: Hikers Only
Permits: $7.00 Park Fee
Trail Conditions: Dry
Hiking with: Linna Freeman

Linna and I had some extra time in Las Vegas during the day and a sunny hike was in order.  I did a quick search for hikes near Las Vegas and Turtlehead Peak had the most elevation gain with a 360 view on top.  This hike is located in the Red Rock Canyon area with numerous other hikes located along the one-way 12 mile route that loops through the canyon.   The trailhead parking was overflowing with cars so we had to park along the road, which I suppose is normal during a weekend. 

We got started on the gravel trail with the sun beaming down overhead.  The trail starts off fairly easy on a river bed and soon picking up some elevation.  Once you get to the gully, it;s a scramble until you get to the ridge.  Once on the ridge, pretty much just follow a couple of trails to the summit.  The 360 view on top was worth the steep scramble in the gully.  Las Vegas was off to the East and the surrounding mountains were glowing red from the sun.

Las Vegas & Zion Park, March 2011

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Linna and I was due for some sunny skies and warmer weather; Seattle was getting dumped on this month and it had been cooler than normal.  I was already down in the Vegas area for work, so Linna joined up with me on Thursday.  After picking her up at the airport, we did a little shopping before heading to St. George, Utah.  We wanted to explore Zion National Park in Utah and St. George was only one hour away from the park.  St. George in the first city you come to when traveling north on I-15 from Vegas.  After checking in at the hotel, we heading off to the local attractions and we couldn’t miss the Dinosaur Tracking Museum.  This site is described by many paleontologists as “one of the ten best dinosaur track sites in the world” and is one of the most important discoveries in early Jurassic paleontological history.  To finish our day off, we headed off to Snow Canyon State Park, this is a quick 30 minute drive through the park, but….filled with beautiful Red Mountains.  While a few miles away are the White Hills, and eroded sandstone rocks of both colors make up the cliffs at either side of the valley.

The next day was exploring Zion National Park, just another beautiful day of mountains.  It started off cloudy and just got worse and soon it was down pouring.  We wanted to hike Angels Landing, but cloudy weather just got worse and soon it was down pouring.  Even though we had our rain gear with us, we wanted a sunny day for a pleasant hike and great pictures.  About the  time we pulled in the trailhead parking lot, it stopped raining…..cool.  After a great day hiking and playing in Zion for the day, we headed back to St. George for the night.  I have an old friend, James Jorgesen that I haven’t seen for 25 years from my hometown that was living in St. George, so we met up for some beers and chat.

The next day was a bust, we headed off to Bryce Canyon, but all we hit was snowy roads and mountains.  We actually drove all the way Bryce Canyon Park entrance and almost paid the  $25 fee, but…my better judgment said no.  From there, we drove all the way  back to Las Vegas.

Angels Landing, March 2011

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Angels Landing
Date: March 25, 2011
Difficulty: 5 out of 10
Distance: 5 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 3,838 ft.
Time: 2 to 3 hours
Location: Zion National Park, Utah
Users Group: Hikers Only
Permits: $25.00 Park Fee, Valid (1) Week
Trail Conditions: Wet
Hiking with: Linna Freeman

Linna and I was due for some sunny skies and warmer weather; Seattle was getting dumped on this month and it has been cooler than normal.  I was already down in the Vegas area for work, so Linna joined up with me on Thursday.

Mt. Teneriffe Hike, March 2011

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Mt. Teneriffe (via forest road)
Date: March 18, 2011
Difficulty: 7 out of 10
Distance: 11 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 3,838 ft.
Time: 5 to 6 hours
Location: Near North Bend, Washington
Users Group: Hikers & Dogs Only
Permits: None Required
Trail Conditions: Snow starts at 2 miles and gets deeper
Hiking with: my dog Macho

After a couple of weeks of snow, I knew snowshoeing anywhere today would be fabulous. I wanted something close to home and plenty of room on the trail for Macho. Mt. Teneriffe forest road can be boring at times, but….I knew 7 miles of open road would keep Macho entertained. We hit snow at 2 miles and I stopped and put on my gators and snowshoes. Of course the snow just got deeper and deeper….what a workout.

Mailbox Peak Hike, March 2011

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Mailbox Peak
Date: March 6, 2011
Difficulty: 9 out of 10
Distance: 5 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 4,000
Time: 4 to 5 hours
Location: Near North Bend, Washington
Users Group: Hikers & Dogs Only
Permits: No Permits Required
Trail Conditions: Muddy to Packed Snow
Hiking With: Rick Massie

I wasn’t for sure if was going to hike this morning as I lay in bed, so I didn’t plan where I was going or talked to anyone to go with me.  The weather looked decent, so I decided to rally and send out a text to any friends that might want to hike up the steep Mailbox Peak with me.  Only one friend found time this moring and decided to join me on this death march.  I met Rick Massie at the Starbucks in North Bend and we took one car to the trailhead.  As we pulled up, there were no parking spots available and so we had to park along the road.  When I first started hiking Mailbox about 10 years ago, you would only see one or two cars at the trailhead; the word must have gotten out about the 360 view and the challenging trail it offers.

We started with gators due to the snow and slowly made our way to the top.  I had brought my crampons, but left them in the car….that was stupid, I could have used them the the first mile.  Rick was struggling after the 1/2 mile mark, he did a leg work out in the gym the day before…that was stupid.  After a snack and sun break on top, we headed back in the deep snow.  Instead of staying on the pack snow trail, we leaned back and slowing descended straight down the mountain.  This was a life savor for my knees, I couldn’t tell I even hiked the next day.